Disposable tray with steel foil inside bottom

ABSTRACT

Paint roller loading trays or pans constructed of liquid impermeable paperboard, plastic or other nonporous material and having steel foil inside bottoms are provided.

United States Patent Charles E. Palmer Somers, Conn.

Mar. 8, 1967 Apr. 13, 1971 Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa.

Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee DISPOSABLE TRAY WITH STEEL FOIL INSIDE BOTTOM 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 15/257.06, 229/315 lnt.Cl 844d 3/12 Field of Search 15/257.06;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,830,001 4/1958 Barnes et a]. 229/3.5F 2,887,705 5/1959 Serwer l5/257.06 2,922,176 l/l960 Bernhardt 15/257.06 2,988,260 6/1961 Locke 15/257.06X 3,297,225 l/l967 Bransten 229/3.5MF

Primary ExaminerWalter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorneys-G. R. Harris and T. A. Zalenski ABSTRACT: Paint roller loading trays or pans constructed of liquid impermeable paperboard, plastic or other nonporous material and having steel foil inside bottoms are provided.

Patented April 13, 1971 Fig.4.

INVENTOR. CHARLES E.PALMER BY g his ATTORNEY DISPOSABLE TRAY WITII STEEL FOIL INSIDE BOTTOM This invention relates to improved trays or pans for holding paint or the like for use with roller type applicators.

The application of paint or the like by means of a roller requires the use of a paint tray or pan for containing the paint. These pans generally have flat bottoms and when in use are supported in an inclined position so that the paint collects in a pool at the lower end of the pan. The roller applicator is immersed in the pool of paint and is then rolled along the bottom wall of the pan upwardly from the pool to the upper end of the pan which is free of paint. The upper end of the bottom wall is provided with a roughened surface so as to permit rotation of the roller thereon for a more even distribution of the paint in the roller. To obviate the necessity for cleaning the pan between uses as well as for'other reasons, it has been suggested that disposable trays and disposable liners for nondisposable trays made from paperboard, plastic or the like be employed. Such trays and liners often lack the rigidity required for ordinary use. Also it is often dilficult to provide the bottom wall of such trays or liners with an adequately roughened surface for insuring rotation of the roller applicator without at the same time weakening the bottom wall to the point where holes are developed therein. To overcome these objections, the present invention provides for the use of disposable trays and disposable liners for nondisposable trays constructed of paperboard, plastic or the like and having steel foil inside bottom walls.

An object of my invention is to provide disposable paint trays and paint tray liners constructed of paperboard or plastic and having steel foil inside bottom walls wherein the steel foil is provided with a roughened surface.

Another object of my invention is to provide disposable paint trays and paint tray liners constructed of paperboard or plastic in conjunction with steel foil and having sufficient rigidity for their intended use.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an embodiment of my invention presently preferred by me and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank adapted to be formed into a tray according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a steel foil blankadapted to be secured to the blank of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray in its erected condition.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, FIG. I illustrates an integral sheet or blank I having a regular trapezoid configuration with edges 9 and 10 being parallel to one another. The blank is fabricated of liquid impermeable paperboard or other suitable nonporous material and includes a central main panel 2 of generally rectangular configuration defined by parallel longitudinally extending score lines 3-3 and parallel laterally extending score lines 4 and 5. Positioned along opposite ends of the main panel 2 and hingedly attached thereto by means of -score line 4 and 5 respectively are rectangular end panels 6 and 7. The end panels are laterally coextensive with the main panel 2. End panel 6 is defined by parallel score lines 8-8, which comprise straight line extensions of score lines 3-3, edge 9 and score line 4. End panel 7 is defined by parallel score lines 11-11, which are straight line extensions of score lines 3-3, edge and score line 5. As can be seen from FIG. I, end panels 6 and 7 have equal lateral dimensions, but end panel 7 has a smaller dimension longitudinally of main panel 2 than end panel 6.

A pair of substantially identical side panels 12-12 extend along opposite sides of main panel 2 to which they are hingedly attached by means of score line 3-3 and are longitudinally coextensive with the main panel. Each of the side panels is defined by a fold line 3, a fold line 13, which is a straight line extension of fold line 4, a fold line 14, which is a straight line extension of fold line 4, a fold line 14, which is a straight line extension of fold line 5, and an edge 15 of the blank. Score lines 14-14 are shorter than score lines 13-13 so that each of the panels 12 tapers in a direction longitudinally of main panel 2 from its fold 13 to its fold 14. Approximately bisecting the right angles formed by the intersection of each of the fold lines 13-13 and each of the fold lines 3-3 are fold lines 16-16 which extend outwardly across panels 12-12 to the edges 15-15 of the blank. Generally bisecting the right angles formed by the intersection of each of the fold lines 14- 14 and each of the fold lines 3-3 are fold lines 17-17 which also extend outwardly across panels 12-12 to the blank edges 15-15.

Gussets 18-18 having an approximately rectangular configuration are located adjacent to and extend outward from each comer of main panel 2 and are hingedly connected to panels 6 and 12 by score line 8 and 13, respectively. Each of the gussets 18 includes a score line 19 extending from the intersection of fold lines 8 and 13 outwardly to a corner of the blank. Similar but smaller gussets 20-20 extend outward from each corner of the main panel 2 between score lines 14 and 11. Each gusset 20 is also provided with a score line 21 extending from the intersection of fold lines 11 and 14 outwardly to a corner of the blank.

FIG. 2 illustrates a steel foil blank of generally rectangular configuration which is secured to the main panel 2 of blank 1 on that side of the panel which forms the inside of the tray. The lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the steel foil blank are somewhat smaller than those of the main panel. The steel foil used in the present invention is about 0.004 inch thick and is full hard steel foil, that is, steel foil which is not annealed after being worked to gauge. While steel foils of different tempers are used, full hard"'steel foil possesses the greatest strength. The thickness of the steel foil used can range from about 0.001 to about 0.006 inch.

Positioned across and above the surface of the steel foil blank in series of arcuate rows 23-23 are a plurality of burrs 24-24 for providing a rough area on the steel foil. By perforating the steel foil with a pointed instrument, the steel foil is caused to rupture and as can be understood those ruptured portions form burrs above the surface of the steel foil. Each burr as can be best seen in FIG. 4 comprises four slightly overturned, triangular projections 25. The steel foil blank is attached to the paperboard blank by means of an adhesive with the rough or burred side of the blank facing up.

In FIG. 3 the paperboard blank 1 to which the steel foil blank 22 is attached has been erected to form a tray generally designated 26. More specifically, the side panels 12 have been folded upwardly along score lines 3 substantially normal to the main panel 2 and the end panels 6 and 7 have been folded upwardly along their respective score lines 4 and 5 substantially normal to the main panel. Thus the main panel 2 defines a bottom wall and the upstanding side panels 12 form side walls on the bottom wall while the end panels 6 and 7 define end walls on the bottom wall. The steel foil blank then comprises the inside bottom wall of the tray. The gussets l8 and 20 being foldable along end score lines 19 and 21 are further folded into and secured in facing engagement with an adjacent one of the side or end walls by means of an adhesive or staples. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 the folded gussets 18 are secured to the end wall 6. Obviously this gusset construction makes the comers of the tray 24 entirely leakproof.

Because the side panels 12 are of increasing lateral dimension in the direction towards end panels 7 and because the end panel 6 is of a greater dimension longitudinally of the main panel 2 than end panel 7, it can be understood that the tray of Fig. 3 is of increasing depth in the direction from end wall 7 to end wall 6.

The fold lines 16 and 17 provided in sidewalls 12 enable the tray to be folded into a flattened condition from its erected condition when not in use. This is done by simply folding end walls 6 and 7 downwardly toward the inside bottom of the tray. As a result, the tray can be shipped and stored in a flattened condition even after it has been completely assembled.

ln use the tray 24 is supported in an inclined position such that the bottom wall slopes upwardly from end wall 6 to end wall 7. Any suitable means of support is used to raise end wall 7 vertically above end wall 6. The steel foil blank provides the tray with a high degree of rigidity so that when the roller applicator is rolled against the bottom wall in order to evenly distribute the paint in the roller, the tray is sufficiently firm not to give under the pressure of the applicator. Additionally, the rough surface provided on the steel foil is adequate to insure rolling of the applicator thereon.

The use of paperboard alone without steel foil does not permit any substantial degree of surface roughness to be imparted to the tray bottom wall because an adequate surface roughness requires severe deformation of the paperboard and such deformation often causes the paperboard to develop weak spots. These weak spots in turn often form holes in the tray bottom wall whereby the paint leaks from the tray.

The surface of the steel foil can be provided with a rough surface by means other than perforating. Thus a series of arcuate, upwardly projecting ridges or ribs can be provided in the steel foil. Various other means of providing a rough surface on the steel foil will occur to those skilled in the art. ln any case the steel foil can be severely deformed to provide a surface sufficiently rough to insure rotation of the roller applicator thereon without giving consideration to the possibility of rupturing the steel foil and because the paperboard is not deformed no holes can develop in the tray.

In addition to the foregoing illustrated embodiment. the present invention includes the use of disposable trays or disposable liners for nondisposable trays having steel foil inside bottoms wherein the trays or liners are constructed from paper or plastic material by forming or molding of the material as contrasted with folding of the same. Thus trays are provided which are molded from paper pulp and which are coated with a suitable plastic or the like so as to be made impermeable to liquids. Such trays according to the invention include steel foil inside bottoms of the type described above. Similar trays molded from plastic material are also provided.

lclaim:

l. A liquid impermeable tray comprising a generally rectangular bottom wall, a pair of substantially identical sidewalls being of gradually increasing height from one end to the other end of said bottom wall, and a pair of upstanding end walls at opposite ends of said bottom wall extending between said sidewalls, and a sheet of steel foil about 0.004 inch thick and having a roughened surface secured to the inside of the bottom wall.

2. A liquid impermeable tray comprising a generally rectangular bottom wall, a pair of substantially identical sidewalls being of gradually increasing height from one end to the other end of said bottom wall, and a pair of upstanding end walls at opposite ends of said bottom wall extending between said sidewalls, and a sheet of steel foil secured to the inside of the bottom wall, said sheet of steel foil having a roughened surface comprising a plurality of burrs raised above the steel foil surface. 

1. A liquid impermeable tray comprising a generally rectangular bottom wall, a pair of substantially identical sidewalls being of gradually increasing height from one end to the other end of said bottom wall, and a pair of upstanding end walls at opposite ends of said bottom wall extending between said sidewalls, and a sheet of steel foil about 0.004 inch thick and having a roughened surface secured to the inside of the bottom wall.
 2. A liquid impermeable tray comprising a generally rectangular bottom wall, a pair of substantially identical sidewalls being of gradually increasing height from one end to the other end of said bottom wall, and a pair of upstanding end walls at opposite ends of said bottom wall extending between said sidewalls, and a sheet of steel foil secured to the inside of the bottom wall, said sheet of steel foil having a roughened surface comprising a plurality of burrs raised above the steel foil surface. 